A new year, and as usual many make resolutions.

Most resolutions go something like this:

• I will lose weight.
• I will exercise more.
• I will take a course to improve my mind
• (If Christian) I will pray more
• (Also if Christian) I will read the Bible more.

These resolutions have one thing in common: It is all me, me, me. New Year’s resolutions may be good, but good as self employment is, it is about self.

This is why I don’t really like resolutions, because I tried it last year and failed, and the year before, and the one before that, and the one …

Which makes me normal. Many are the gym memberships taken up in the new year only to be used once or twice. It is said that January 17th is the day on which the New Years resolutions end. Which is longer than many of mine have gone.

So I don’t like resolutions.

American Pastor Jim Wallace however likes resolutions. This are ten resolutions he recently blogged:

1.     Love God.

2.     Extend who our neighbors are; whom we are also called to love.

3.     Love hardest those who are the closest.

4.     Build racial bridges.

5.     Always Ask, “What does this mean for the poor and vulnerable?”

6.     Support and empower women and girls.

7.     Stand up for the reality of climate change.

8.     Question every act of war.

9.     Practice presence. 

10. Embrace hope and joy.

To find out more about what Wallace said I’d recommend visiting his blog. You can find it by following this link.

What we need then is a different kind of resolution, one which looks outwards and is not self centred. This change would be a New Years’ Revolution.

If you don’t like 10 resolutions, I think I can condense these ten into just two.

1. Love God

2 Love your neighbour as you love yourself.

Jesus said that.